Device for operating graphic arts machines and devices having a display device with a touch operation wall screen

ABSTRACT

A device for operating machines and devices of the graphic arts industry includes a display device, an operating device with a touch screen for operating functions of the graphic arts machine or device and for influencing a representation on the display device, and a communication link between the operating device and the display device. The same screen content is shown on the operating device and on the display device and the touch screen of the operating device is used to modify the screen content on the operating device and on the display device in parallel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of GermanPatent Application DE 10 2013 019 425.3, filed Nov. 20, 2013; the priorapplication is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for operating graphic artsmachines and devices that have a display device.

Such a device is known, for example, from German Patent Application DE10 2007 058 708 A1, which discloses an operating concept for printingpresses with at least one computer, an operating device, an inputdevice, and an output device. The computer of the machine processes atleast two signals from the group of acoustic, haptic, or opticalinformation. That means that the printing press operator has at leasttwo ways of receiving information. Likewise, the printing press operatormay input control commands using a keyboard or voice recognition througha microphone, for example. Moreover, a camera is provided to recognizethe operators' gestures and to record the operators' hand movements,which will then be translated into corresponding control commands tocontrol the printing press.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device foroperating graphic arts machines and devices having a display device witha touch operation wall screen, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioneddisadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, inaccordance with the invention, a device for operating machines anddevices of the graphic arts industry. The device comprises a displaydevice, an operating device with a touch screen for operating thefunctions of the graphic arts machine or device and for influencing therepresentation on the display device, and a communication link betweenthe operating device and the display device, wherein the same screencontent is shown on the operating device and on the display device andwherein the touch screen of the operating device is used to modify thescreen content on the operating device and on the display device inparallel.

The present invention is distinguished by the fact that an operatingdevice including a touch screen is provided to control the functions ofthe graphic arts machine or device and to influence the representationon the display device, and by the fact that a communication link isprovided between the operating device and the display device. Inaddition to the display device for representing the operating conditionof the graphic arts machine or device and for displaying operating data,the operating device of the invention includes an operating device witha touch screen for controlling the display device and the machine ordevice. The touch screen likewise includes a screen that allows parts orentire images that are displayed on the display device to also bedisplayed on the touch screen. The operating device that includes thetouch screen and the display device are interconnected by a wireless orwired communication link. Furthermore, the display device and/or theoperating device that includes the touch screen may include a computeror may be connected to a computer. The operating device that includesthe touch screen may be stationary and fixed to the control panel of themachine. Alternatively, the user interface that includes the touchscreen may be a mobile operating unit.

The device of the invention is particularly suited for operatingprinting presses that have a so-called wall screen as a display device.Wall screens are large screens disposed on the control console of theprinting press. They usually have a screen size of 52 inches, allowingthem to display large printing materials of a 100 cm×70 cm format intheir original size. Since the wall screen is generally disposed in therear region on the rear wall of the control console, correspondingoperating elements need to be provided in addition to the wall screenbecause otherwise the printing press operator would not be able to makeinputs to operate the machine. In accordance with the invention, it isthe operating device that includes the touch screen that takes over thisfunction. The operating device that includes the touch screen virtuallyacts as the extended arm of the printing press operator, makingadditional pointing tools such as a computer mouse or a pen superfluous.In this way, the display device and the operating device that includesthe touch screen provide a simple, intuitive way of operating theprinting press since the screen content of the display device and of theoperating device that includes the touch screen are synchronized witheach other at all times due to the communication link and a computer.Thus, the printing press operator sees exactly the same image content(at least in sections) on the touch screen of the operating device andon the display device and is capable of intuitively influencing therepresentation on the display device by inputs on the touch screen. Inaccordance with the invention, a provision is made for the operatingdevice and the display device to display the same screen content and forthe screen content of the operating device and of the display device tobe modifiable in parallel using the touch screen of the operatingdevice. In this way, the content on the display device may be directlysynchronized with the touch screen of the operating device to bedirectly operable thereon. Indirect operation by using a mouse or atouch pad without a screen display is not required. Furthermore, thedisplay device and the touch screen of the operating device may becontrolled based on the same operational concept or philosophy. Thismeans that the printing press operator may see the same screen contenton the touch screen and on the display device, a fact which simplifiesoperation of the printing press to a considerable extent. Moreover, thisfact significantly simplifies programming of the control unit of theprinting press because no different operating concepts need to beimplemented and maintained. Instead, the operating concept on thedisplay device and on the touch screen of the operating device areidentical, with the operator inputs made exclusively on the touch screenand not on the display device, because the latter does not need to havea touch screen function.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the operatingdevice and the display device are interconnected by a wirelesscommunication link. This allows the operator to use the operating devicethat includes the touch screen in any desired location in the press roomand to make remote inputs with the display device in sight.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the operatingdevice may be a mobile operating device such as a smartphone or a tabletcomputer. It is likewise possible for the mobile operating device ordisplay device to be a bracelet display such as a watch that includes adisplay, which is frequently referred to as a smartwatch. In this case,no special hardware is required as the operating device that includesthe touch screen. In principle, any desired tablet computer or anydesired smartphone having a conventional operating system such asAndroid or Apple IOS may be used once the corresponding user interfacefor controlling printing presses has been uploaded thereon. The wirelesscommunication may then be implemented by the radio data transmissionintegrated in the smartphone or tablet computer, for example by WLAN orBluetooth.

In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the display devicehas a computer and the computer has a touch screen user interface foroperating the graphic arts machine or device stored or generatedthereon. The touch screen user interface may be transmitted to theoperating device over the communication link. This embodiment is, inparticular, suitable for integrating mobile operating devices such as asmartphone or a tablet computer into the operation of the graphic artsmachine or device. In this case, a method of radio data transmissionsuch as a WLAN or Bluetooth or UMTS is used to couple the smartphone ortablet computer to the control unit of the graphic arts machine ordevice, which is likewise equipped with a network connection. Once theconnection has been established and authorized, the software foroperating the touch screen user interface is transmitted and installedin accordance with the respective operating system of the smartphone ortablet computer. In this way, the smartphone or tablet computer mayquickly and easily be coupled to the control unit of the machine ordevice to be put into operation. It is likewise possible to enableoperation through a browser of the mobile operating device. In thiscase, the screen content for controlling the machine using the mobileoperating device is generated in the computer of the machine controlunit and transmitted to the mobile operating device as required. In thiscase, the installation of software on the mobile operating device is notnecessary.

In accordance with an additional particularly preferred feature of theinvention, the screen content of the display device may be scaled downto be displayed on the operating device or may be displayed in sectionsthereon. Since in most cases, the touch screen of the operating devicewill be of a much smaller size (10 inches at the maximum) than thelarge-format display device (52 inches at the minimum), in is veryadvantageous if in a first step, the screen content of the displaydevice is adapted to the format of the touch screen of the operatingdevice. For this purpose, the screen content of the display device maybe displayed on the touch screen in an enlarged view and in sections orregions. Even if the touch screen has the same high resolution as thedisplay device, it is nevertheless expedient to enlarge the screencontent and display it in sections because otherwise the operator wouldhave to hold the touch screen too close to his or her eyes to be able torecognize the content.

In accordance with yet another advantageous feature of the invention,the same screen masks or forms may be displayed on the display deviceand on the operating device. In order to simplify the enlargement andthe display in sections, in principle, the same screen masks or formsare shown on the display device and on the touch screen of the operatingdevice. However, due to the larger size, the display device may displaymultiple screen masks at the same time, whereas the operating deviceonly displays one screen mask or form. This is possible because thescreen of the display device is subdivided into multiple sections orregions having a size which corresponds to the resolution of the screenof the operating device. In this case, no complicated computingprocesses are required to adapt the representation of the screen contentof the display device to the format of the touch screen of the operatingdevice. Instead, it is sufficient to display the relevant section of thescreen of the display device across the entire format of the touchscreen of the operating device, automatically causing the representationof the respective required section to be enlarged. The selection of therespective required section may be made by corresponding swipinggestures or touches that are used on the touch screen to switch betweenthe respective sections or regions on the display device. In terms ofsize, the image content on the display device is preferably divided intoregions that may be displayed on the touch screen of the operatingdevice in a size that allows them to be operated by the printing pressoperator using his or her finger. Once an operating process on the touchscreen has be completed, it is possible for a transmission of imagecontent from the touch screen of the operating device to the displaydevice to likewise be initiated by a corresponding touch or a simpleswiping gesture in the direction of the display device. Depending on thesettings, it is possible for the screen content to be exchanged or to beduplicated to be displayed on both screens.

In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the screencontent on the display device may include multiple touch screenapplications of the operating device. In this case, the content of thedisplay device includes multiple application modules of the touch screenof the operating device. Touches or swiping gestures cause therespective touch screen application to be selected and made operable.For example, eight touch screen applications may be available on theoperating device, each one corresponding to the format of the touchscreen of the operating device to be displayed thereon.

Using the operating device that includes a touch screen, it is likewisepossible for the touch screen to be switched to a so-called touch padmode, for example to create detailed drawings for highlighting certainareas on the touch screen of the operating device. This is particularlyexpedient for the selection of areas to be inspected when a printedimage on a printed sheet is to be examined. While the display devicedisplays the entire printed sheet, the touch screen of the operatingdevice only displays one section and the printed sheet is displayed onan enlarged scale. Then the operator may select a suitable region on thetouch screen using the touch pad function to allocate specific imageinspection tasks and rules to the selected region. For better operation,a pen instead of a finger may be used to mark the selected inspectionarea on the touch screen. In particular, a so-called graphics tablet maybe used for this purpose instead of a smartphone or tablet computer thathas a corresponding drawing program. The graphics tablet may likewise beequipped with a screen, which may be operated by pen inputs. Compared tooperation by finger, operation by pen facilitates the creation ofdrawings on a small touch screen. In this context, in accordance with aparticularly advantageous feature, the touch screen may be constructedto be operable both by a finger and by a pen.

In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the screencontent on the display device may contain operating elements and theoperating elements of the display device may be displayed on theoperating device. In this case, the operating elements of all or someareas of the touch screen applications of the large display device maybe filtered to be displayed on the touch screen of the operating devicein a specific order. This allows all operating elements to be compressedonto the small format of the touch screen of the operating device.

In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, it may bepossible to switch between the areas or touch screen applications on theoperating device by swiping gestures. This allows the operator toconveniently and easily switch between individual areas or applicationsby swiping gestures on the touch screen, moving to the right or to theleft, upward or downward or even diagonally, to always see precisely thedesired application or area on the touch screen.

In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, it ispossible for the operation of the display device through the touchscreen of the operating device to be combined with a control unit forrecognizing gestures in space. In this case, in addition to operatingthe machine or device by using the touch screen, the operator may usefinger gestures in space that are recognized by corresponding sensors orcameras on the control console to control the graphic arts machine ordevice.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin a device for operating graphic arts machines and devices which have adisplay device with a touch operation wall screen, it is neverthelessnot intended to be limited to the details shown, since variousmodifications and structural changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and within the scope andrange of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be bestunderstood from the following description of specific embodiments whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The FIGURE of the drawing is a diagrammatic, perspective view of acontrol console of a printing press that includes an operating deviceaccording to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now in detail to the single FIGURE of the drawing, there isseen a control console 2 of a graphic arts machine in the form of aprinting press 1 which is equipped with a rear wall. A display device orwall screen 3 is attached to the rear wall. This wall screen 3 ispreferably a large screen of 52 to 70 inches. Even large-format printsheets may be displayed in their original size on such a large screen.An upper region of the control console 2 has a roof 12 to keepenvironmental light away from a sheet deposition surface disposed belowthe wall screen 3. The roof 12 supports a color control lamp 9, whichallows sheets 6 resting on the sheet deposition surface to beilluminated by standardized light. In addition, the sheet 6 may bescanned by a graphic arts device in the form of a color measurementdevice 5. The wall screen 3 and the color measurement device 5 areconnected to a control computer 7 of the printing press 1. The controlcomputer 7 in turn communicates with a control unit of the printingpress 1 through a communication link 8. Furthermore, the controlcomputer 7 is connected to a receiving/transmitting unit 10, which ispreferably a wireless unit, in particular one that is equipped with aWLAN or Bluetooth connection to communicate with an operating device 4having a mobile touch screen. This operating device 4 having the mobiletouch screen may, in particular, be a smartphone or a tablet computerequipped with suitable software that includes a user interface forcontrolling the printing press 1 and the color measurement device 5. Inthis way, it is possible for an operator 11 to conveniently operate theprinting press 1 and the color measurement device 5 even if the operatoris not directly at the control console 2.

In principle, the same screen content may be displayed on the wallscreen 3 and on the operating device 4 having the mobile touch screen.However, due to the fact that the operating device 4 having the mobiletouch screen is much smaller (10 inches at the maximum in most cases),the representation needs to be adapted in a way that makes sense. Forthis purpose, the content on the wall screen 3 is scaled down in asuitable way, i.e. its size is adapted to the format of the operatingdevice 4 having the mobile touch screen. This is possible in aparticularly simple way if the wall screen 3 is subdivided intocorresponding regions having a size which corresponds to the format ofthe operating device 4 having the mobile touch screen. In this case,these regions on the wall screen 3 may be displayed on the touch screenone-to-one without requiring the control computer 7 to make calculationsto adapt the format. Of course, it is likewise possible to enlargescreen content of the wall screen 3 in sections using a zooming functionto display the screen content in a readily readable way on the operatingdevice 4 having the mobile touch screen. The selection of the respectiveregions is made by gestures on the operating device 4 having the mobiletouch screen, in particular by swiping gestures, which allow theoperator to seamlessly move from one screen content to the next in adifferent region without any difficulty. Data are transferred from theoperating device 4 having the mobile touch screen to the wall screen 3and vice versa by suitable swiping gestures in the respective direction.

The operating device 4 having the mobile touch screen may be constructedin such a way that it contains more than the user interface for a singleprinting press 1. It is possible for the mobile touch screen to be usedto control multiple printing presses 1, switching between userinterfaces by suitable touches or swiping gestures or implementing andrecognizing data transfers or control operations by gesture recognition,i.e. by recognizing the direction of gestures towards the respectivewall screen 3 of the associated printing press 1. Analogously, it ispossible for one printing press 1 to be controlled by multiple operatingdevices 4 having mobile touch screens. In addition, it is possible forthe wall screen 3 to be equipped with a surface that is sensitive totouches. This embodiment is technically complex and expensive becauselarge touch screens of a size like that of the wall screen 3 areunusual. If desired, however, it is technically possible to provide sucha touch screen surface for the wall screen 3 in order to additionallyallow the operator 11 to make inputs directly on the wall screen 3, inparticular when the operator 11 is immediately in front of the controlconsole 2, for example to examine a printing substrate 6 resting thereonand to bend over the printing substrate 6 anyway. Moreover, anadditional or alternative operating device 4 having a mobile touchscreen may be installed to be stationary in the front region of thecontrol console 2.

Since the user interfaces on the wall screen 3 and on the operatingdevice 4 having the mobile touch screen are the same, the operator 11will be able to operate both interfaces intuitively because inprinciple, the same screen content is shown on the wall screen 3 and onthe operating device 4 having the mobile touch screen and it is only thesize which is modified and the screen content is shown in sections. Thisprovides an intuitive and safe way of operating the printing press,significantly improving the ease of operation of graphic arts machineryand devices. Furthermore, it is possible to distinguish betweenapplications that are exclusively used for displaying purposes andapplications that are exclusively used for operating purposes. In thiscontext, it is possible to represent the displaying applications on thewall screen 3 only, because they do not require direct operations,whereas all applications or at least all applications that includeoperating elements are displayed on the operating device 4 having themobile touch screen, which allows suitable inputs to be made by theoperator 11. Applications without operating functions are thenexclusively displayed on the wall screen 3. Conveniently, swipinggestures may be used to switch between applications on the operatingdevice 4 having the mobile touch screen.

1. A device for operating machines and devices of the graphic artsindustry, the device comprising: a display device having a screencontent; an operating device having a screen content and a touch screen,said touch screen of said operating device configured to operatefunctions of the graphic arts machine or device, to influence arepresentation on said display device and to modify said screen contenton said operating device and said screen content on said display devicein parallel; and a communication link between said operating device andsaid display device configured to cause said screen content shown onsaid operating device and said screen content shown on said displaydevice to be the same.
 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein saidcommunication link interconnecting said operating device and saiddisplay device is a wireless communication link.
 3. The device accordingto claim 1, wherein said operating device is a mobile operating device.4. The device according to claim 4, wherein said mobile operating deviceis a smartphone or a tablet computer.
 5. The device according to claim1, which further comprises a computer associated with said displaydevice, said computer configured to store or generate a touch screenuser interface for operating the graphic arts machine or device and totransfer said touch screen user interface over said communication linkto said operating device.
 6. The device according to claim 1, whereinsaid display device is fixed to a control console of the graphic artsmachine or device.
 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein saidscreen content of said display device is shown on said operating deviceon an enlarged scale or in sections.
 8. The device according to claim 1,wherein said display device has a screen, said operating device has ascreen, and said screen of said display device is subdivided intomultiple regions each corresponding to a size or resolution of saidscreen of said operating device.
 9. The device according to claim 1,wherein said screen content on said display device includes multipletouch screen applications of said operating device.
 10. The deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said screen content on said display devicecontains operating elements, and said operating elements of said displaydevice are displayed on said operating device.
 11. The device accordingto claim 8, wherein said operating device is configured to allow swipinggestures to be used to switch between said regions.
 12. The deviceaccording to claim 9, wherein said operating device is configured toallow swiping gestures to be used to switch between said touch screenapplications.